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Browsing by Author "Alves, Valter"

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  • Algorithmic thinking and creativity: a deck of cards for early childhood education
    Publication . Pacheco Figueiredo, Maria; Alves, Valter; Gomes, Diana; Amante, Susana; Sousa, C.; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; P. Duarte, Rui; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Rego, Belmiro; Evin Gencel, Ilke
    The challenges presented to educational systems and researchers about algorithmic thinking are wide and exciting. Several initiatives are working on contributions. In the framework of a European Project focused on algorithmic thinking skills through play-based learning, we undertook the development of a resource for introducing algorithmic thinking to teachers and children in Early Childhood Education. The paper presents the resource, a deck of cards, highlighting its connections to creativity and algorithmic thinking. The paper briefly introduces the research design in place to pilot together with preliminary data from the tests with future teachers and a group of 5 years-old children. The deck of cards has been well received by both future teachers and children. The simple drawings are considered attractive and allow for diverse decisions about what to represent. Conditions, in particular, were well received by children. Further analysis of existing data will provide more information regarding the potential and limitations of the deck of cards.
    2022-07Conference object Open access Show more
  • Algorithmic Thinking in Early Childhood Education: Opportunities and Supports in the Portuguese Context
    Publication . Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Rego, Belmiro; Alves, Valter; Duarte, Rui Pedro
    ALGO-LITTLE is an EU-funded project, with partners from Portugal, Italy, Turkey and Slovenia, in search of ways to integrate Algorithmic Thinking skills into preschool education for the purpose of growing future code literates starting from the earliest ages. Algorithmic Thinking stems from the concept of an algorithm, which refers to solving a problem by developing a set of steps taken in a sequence to achieve the desired outcome (Katai, 2014). The concept can be traced to the work of Papert (1980, 1991) and is connected to the seminal article by Wing (2006) that introduced Computational Thinking. Barretal (2011) concluded that in K-12, Algorithmic Thinking involves problem-solving skills and particular dispositions, such as confidence and persistence when confronting particular problems. Early Childhood Education algorithmic skills include abilities to learn and work according to the rules or models since children are capable to understand, use, apply and develop simple algorithms. Children are also capable of analyzing and correcting the sequence of actions to reach results, transferring known methods of actions to new situations, and describing their activities to others in a clear way (Voronina et al., 2016; Games for learning algorithmic thinking, 2017). The paper analyses initiatives, studies, and projects that are connected to Algorithmic Thinking in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. A review of literature was developed, starting with curricular documents for Preschool Education (3 to 6 years old) and other documents from the ICT Educational Policy in the country. The second step was a search in databases for studies and projects that looked into Algorithmic Thinking and Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. The analyses looked into the following themes: a) what definition and elements of Algorithmic Thinking are present?, b) to which concepts and curricular areas is it connected to?, c) what is expected that children in Early Childhood Education learn in relation to Algorithmic Thinking?, d) to what pedagogical elements is Algorithmic Thinking related to?. In terms of curricular documents, it was found that code has been relevant for Portuguese Early Childhood Education (at least) since 1997. In their first edition, the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education (Ministério da Educação, 1997) included computer code as one of the codes children should get acquainted with. This meant its inclusion under the domain “Spoken Language and Introductory Writing”. It was stated that “code” was present and would be necessary in children’s lives and could be used in arts, music, mathematic, or writing (Portuguese) (p. 72). This approach was positively singled out by the OECD report: addressing the topic of ICT in the guidelines interconnected with other forms of communication and information learning (Taguma et al., 2012). In 2016, the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education (PCGPSE) were reviewed and this second version amplifies the mentions to technology. The findings include an analysis for each of the six curricular areas and domains. In terms of studies and projects, the “Kids Media Lab Project II” stood out as the only systematic initiative for promoting Computational Thinking in Preschool Education (Pinto, Fernandes & Osório, 2021). In the findings, the main elements of the project are discussed.
    2021Journal article Open access Show more
  • Appendix
    Publication . Alves, Valter; Cunningham, S; Droumeva, M; Grimshaw, M; Hug, D; Liljedahl, M; O'Keeffe, L; Wilhelmsson, U
    What will the player experience of computer game sound be in the future? This was the question posed in an online discussion forum to which the book’s contributors were invited to respond. What follows is a free-wheeling debate about the future of game sound. Little editing has been done, other than the most obvious grammar, syntax and spelling errors, in order to maintain the fresh, often off-the-cuff responses. Three related themes become apparent in this discussion: affect, emotion and biofeedback; realism versus alternative realities; and the need for a game-sound design aesthetics. The first opens up interesting possibilities for enhanced player interaction (including player-player interaction across networked games) and immersion. Although authors and games companies often talk about the player being immersed in the gameworld, it is clear that current technology only hints at the potential. Similarly, games companies often praise the realism of their game sounds: even the iconic sound of Atari’s Pong of the early 1970s had its synthetic tones described as “realistic”. But which realism is being alluded to? What precisely does this Holy Grail of realism represent and how should it be attained? Is it the authenticity of sound that contributes to game realism or its verisimilitude in the context? If the latter, does realism derive from expectation, culture and genre and what debt does it owe to other forms of media? If realism refers to an emulation of reality, do we mean social realism, thematic realism, consequential or physical realism and who wants to play reality anyway? These questions directly relate to the need for a game sound design language: something that is still nascent. Game sound involves a very different paradigm to the derivation and perception of sound as found in reality or any other form of recreational medium. Like real-world environments, game sound derives from the actions of and upon its entities but it is triggered from a different rather than issuing directly from those entities. Unlike cinema, games require the willing and active participation of the player to effect the game and its sound. Whatever the future holds, it is clear that we have only begun to discover the possibilities inherent in computer game sound.
    2011Book part Restricted access Show more
  • Avaliação contínua em Tecnologias e Design de Multimédia (Continuous assessment in Multimedia Technologies and Design)
    Publication . Alves, Valter; Sousa, Catarina; P. Duarte, Rui; M. P. Figueiredo & A. Franco
    A licenciatura em Tecnologias e Design de Multimédia1 (TDM) da Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Viseu, do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, prepara profissionais com competências para desempenhar todo o processo de análise de necessidades na área da multimédia, conceção criativa de soluções, produção dos conteúdos que essas soluções contemplem, e implementação da componente tecnológica, Web ou aplicacional, que as suporte. Tirando partido da oportunidade de restruturar o plano de estudos, na sequência da avaliação externa, repensou-se a organização curricular2 de modo a suportar práticas que se vinha a introduzir na formação e que privilegiam uma abordagem prática, de proximidade entre estudantes e docentes, em que se recorre à avaliação contínua e ao ensino baseado em projeto, com interação entre unidades curriculares (UC), para promover trabalho acompanhado e continuado. Procura-se que os estudantes valorizarem cada semestre como o tempo em que podem desenvolver competências e assistir a resultados pragmáticos da sua aplicação, por oposição, nomeadamente, à ideia de que o período de aulas serve para se ser exposto a conhecimento e que é depois, num momento específico, que se demonstra o que se aprendeu, numa prova em época de exames (ou, ainda mais tarde, já no mercado de trabalho). A restruturação arrancou em 2017/2018 e foi aplicada simultaneamente a todos os anos curriculares. O interesse de docentes e alunos em abraçar as alterações aos conteúdos programáticos e às metodologias de ensino acabou por ter um efeito muito positivo na aceitação das perturbações impostas pela transição e no estado anímico de todos. As várias reuniões de preparação e de balanço, tanto entre docentes como com alunos, permitiram manter o entrosamento e gerir as alterações, com o contributo e compreensão de todos. Neste capítulo, reportamos o que tem sido a nossa experiência na interpretação da avaliação contínua e outros aspetos pedagógicos relacionados. Para contextualização, os autores têm assumido funções de direção do curso e/ou têm sido responsáveis pela relação com as entidades externas que, como exporemos, é um dos alicerces desta formação. Ressalvamos que não é nosso intuito sugerir qualquer tipo de generalização para contextos equiparáveis, mas apenas de partilhar as práticas, sucessos e desafios com que nos temos deparado.
    2022Book part Restricted access Show more
  • Baralho de cartas para desenho criativo baseado em pensamento algorítmico
    Publication . Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Alves, Valter
    Baralho de cartas concebido como ferramenta pedagógica no contexto do projeto Algolittle "Algorithmic Thinking Skills through Play-Based Learning for Future’s Code Literates" (2020-1-TR01-KA203-092333). Apoia a criação de desenhos colaborativos baseados em pistas associados à aprendizagem de conceitos de pensamento algorítmico, nomeadamente repetições e condições.
    2022Education resource Open access Show more
  • Children and technology: preoccupations, practices and participation in Early Childhood Education
    Publication . Pacheco Figueiredo, Maria; Alves, Valter
    Children live in a complex world where technology plays different roles and influences several spheres of their existence. Research about the presence and educational impact of technology in childhood reveals several challenges. A particular challenge is connected to the need for a high-quality pedagogy regarding technology in Early Childhood Education. This paper contributes to that discussion from a Portuguese perspective. The pedagogical and curricular framework for Early Childhood Education in Portugal supports a significant use of technology in the daily practice and in children’s play. In this context, the paper explores three main axes to understand a high-quality pedagogy for using technology with children in educational contexts: technology presented as a tool with socially authentic practices; technology as supporting multiple languages that are relevant for children to understand the world around them; and technology as an arena for children’s participation. Each axis is supported by the analysis of specific projects developed locally at the School of Education. The projects were selected for highlighting tenets of each axis. Each axis is also connected to the three content areas of the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines and to dimensions of a sociocultural pedagogy for Early Childhood Education.
    2021Journal article Open access Show more
  • Connecting Students with Research through Active Participation in Projects: An Experience in a Design and Multimedia Degree
    Publication . Alves, Valter; P. Duarte, Rui; Sousa, Catarina; Abrantes, Steven Lopes
    The relationship between students and the higher education institutions has been perceived differently in the literature and policy documents, including a variety of terms such as “consumers,” “active participants,” “community of learning,” “students as change agents,” “students as partners,” and “students as co-creators of learning and teaching” (Bovill et al., 2016; Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Dunne & Zandstra, 2011; Matthews et al., 2018). In recent years, higher education has seen a growth in research and practice focused on students becoming active partners in the processes of learning and teaching. For example, inquiry and research-based learning, as well as problem and project-based learning, have assumed greater importance. Engagement in research and collaborative forms of pedagogical relationships between academics and students are considered important elements to improving teaching and learning (Sousa, Lopes, & Boyd, 2020). By involving students in research projects, the teaching staff opens opportunities for problem-based and student-centered approaches where the role of the academic/ teacher is to facilitate learning and to provide guidance and information (Willcoxson et al., 2011). Students and academics work in a more horizontal and collaborative way. Therefore, the importance of explicitly inviting students to connect with researchers and research as an integral part of their learning journey has been highlighted (Fung, 2017). This paper presents the experience of the Multimedia Technologies and Design degree of involving students in research projects developed by the teaching staff. In four different funded research projects, with several partners from different external institutions, students were invited to participate as members of the research teams. The involvement was not part of any assignment and therefore constituted an extracurricular activity that students volunteered for. This year, four students are engaged, participating in the work that is connected to all four projects. The initiative is underpinned by the concept of a “community of practice” developed by Wenger (1998), who advocated the idea that learning is social. A community of practice is organized around groups of people who share common interests or concerns and who are able to deepen their knowledge about a specific subject by interacting regularly (Wenger, 1998, 2007). In the paper, the process of involvement of the students in the projects is analyzed. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the projects have been developed without in-person meetings. The technological solutions that were implemented will be analyzed in terms of limitations and advantages for the active participation of the students and contributions for collaboration. Through the description of the workflow implemented, specific challenges of involving students in research projects from the field of Design and Multimedia will be substantiated.
    2021-07Conference object Open access Show more
  • Curriculum –Integration of Algorithmic Thinking Skills into Preschool Education
    Publication . Evin Gencel, İlke; Akyüz, Büşra; Kavaklı, Nurdan; Yoleri, Sibel; Licardo, Marta; Vršnik Perše, Tina; Pezak, Jasminka; Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Rego, Belmiro; Alves, Valter; Duarte, Rui
    ALGOLITTLE is an EU funded Erasmus+ KA203 project seeking the ways of integrating algorithmic thinking skills into preschool education to cultivate future’s code literates starting from the earliest years. When we consider the COVID-19 outbreak process, while a transformation has been being experienced in every field, education has also been digitalized in a tremendous way. These developments promise the systems digitalized in a more global scale. Therefore, it becomes important to raise individuals with the skills allowing them to keep up with the expectations of the 21st century business world. ALGOLITTLE project consortium consists of 6 partners: İzmir Democracy University (Turkey), Scuola di Robotica (Italy), University of Maribor (Slovenia), University of Rijeka (Croatia), Instituto Politecnico de Viseu (Portugal) and Educloud Ed-Tech (Turkey). The consortium has been developing a curriculum and teaching materials to equip early childhood education undergraduates with the new skills which modern world demands and support them to become competent to meet the requirements of their future professions. Algorithmic thinking skills are defined as thinking about the steps to achieve a determined objective in a clear and detailed way (Brown, 2015). This term was suggested for the first time by Wing (2006) and is based on the studies of Seymour Papert (Papert, 1980, 1991). Wing (2006) claims that algorithmic thinking requires “solving problems, designing systems and understanding human behaviour by benefiting from the basic concepts of computer science”. And this becomes an opportunity in teacher education to ensure undergraduate students gain contemporary and innovative skills.
    2021Report Open access Show more
  • Curso – Integração de Competências de Pensamento Algorítmico na Educação Pré-Escolar
    Publication . Gencel, İlke Evin; Akyüz, Büşra; Kavaklı, Nurdan; Licardo, Marta; Perše, Tina Vršnik; Pezak, Jasminka; Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Rego, Belmiro; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; P. Duarte, Rui; Alves, Valter; Operto, Fiorella; Gilardi, Luca; Şenol, Gizem
    2021Education resource Open access Show more
  • A deck of cards for creative drawing based on algorithmic thinking
    Publication . Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Alves, Valter
    Deck of cards created as a pedagogical tool for the project Algolittle "Algorithmic Thinking Skills through Play-Based Learning for Future’s Code Literates" (2020-1-TR01-KA203-092333). Supports children in creating collaborative drawings based on prompts while learning concepts related to algorithms, especially conditions, and loops.
    2021Education resource Open access Show more